July 12, 2018
Diving Into Eureka Math | First Grade
Last year was the first time I was introduced to Eureka Math. My school had adopted it last year and it seems the consensus was that overall teachers liked aspects of the curriculum, but that it definitely can be modified. I just so happen to agree and today I wanted to share a few of my ideas as I plan to teach Module 1 for first grade next school year.
As some of you may already know, Eureka Math seems to be a popular math curriculum that is finding it's way from middle/high schools to the elementary grades. In second grade last year I got to get a glimpse into the program and how the kids interact with it's material. I have to agree that there is A LOT of great strategies taught, but I found too much time was spent on any one given concept. And I have to say it...
...I HATE the worksheets that come along with it!
They've got too many problems and the format isn't conducive to helping students visualize the math concepts being taught. Also...it's not cute so I took it upon myself to create something that, I hope, teachers all over can use.
I am excited to share with you the complete MODULE 1 of Eureka Math for first grade!
My plan for the future is to dig into second grade for when I go back next January and have those resources available to you all! So, definitely keep an eye out for that!
But, for now I have Module 1 ready for all my first grade teacher friends and I couldn't be more excited to share this with you!
So, let's take a peek at what I've been working on these last few weeks of summer...
Have students easily follow along with your lessons each day! I've adapted these pages so that while you're teaching the concept development, they can follow along in their journals. I've also narrowed down the problem sets to include just the right amount of practice problems before dismissing your students to another activity you may have planned.
Using a notebook helps keep track of student learning, gives students a space to jot their ideas and work down, and keeps them in a safe place all year long! Use additional pages in your notebooks, too, for other activities you plan during each lesson.
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| Download at TpT |
...I HATE the worksheets that come along with it!
They've got too many problems and the format isn't conducive to helping students visualize the math concepts being taught. Also...it's not cute so I took it upon myself to create something that, I hope, teachers all over can use.
I am excited to share with you the complete MODULE 1 of Eureka Math for first grade!
My plan for the future is to dig into second grade for when I go back next January and have those resources available to you all! So, definitely keep an eye out for that!
But, for now I have Module 1 ready for all my first grade teacher friends and I couldn't be more excited to share this with you!
So, let's take a peek at what I've been working on these last few weeks of summer...
One way I love teaching is by using easy-to-follow note pages for my students. By having them be responsible for taking 'notes' during a lesson, I'm more likely to keep their attention and engagement for longer. So, I formatted each application problem and problem set for every lesson to be just right for pasting into student's interactive notebooks!
**But want worksheets instead for centers or small groups? Just print them like normal!
Using a notebook helps keep track of student learning, gives students a space to jot their ideas and work down, and keeps them in a safe place all year long! Use additional pages in your notebooks, too, for other activities you plan during each lesson.
Each Module will feature a cover page with tabs so that as students build their journals throughout the year, each Module will be easy to find! Cover pages also include an overview of what students will be learning about during those lessons.
Most lessons include extension activities for those students ready to expand their thinking or even for those early finishers. Along with that are templates that can be printed out and laminated for continued use throughout the school year using Expo markers! Cut and paste activities can also be used throughout various lessons.
Every so many lessons the Eureka Math curriculum gives students the opportunity to complete Sprints, or timed fluency tests. These sprints can be used at the beginning of lessons to get student's brains warmed up or use them as a means to check-in with their fluency. A and B sides are included as well and match up to Eureka's answer keys included in the Teacher Handbook. Answer keys can also be found online!
Pin me for later!
July 5, 2018
Attacking Your Classroom Library Like a Pro
I am super excited to share these labels with you because it’s been years, I mean years, since I’ve given these guys a fresh look. It’s always kind of fun (and scary) to look back on my earliest products and realize all the things I was doing wrong and how simple everything was. If anything, it shows how much I’ve learned within these last few years on upping the quality and range of my products. I used to only think about my own needs then just upload them to TpT and it was only just last year did I realize the key to becoming a serious TpT Seller and that’s ensuring your products can be used for any grade!
Which brings us back to these classroom library cards! After looking over what I originally had, I realized that they were a touch outdated and didn’t expand into the many different genres and topics children’s books can be organized into. However, I’m all about simple and not getting into the weeds too much with organizing my library.
What’s new?
This download now has many new genre and topic labels as well as new authors such as Eric Carle and Shel Silverstein. Another huge improvement to this product is the inclusion of F&P, Lexile, DRA, and AR leveled labels! So, now you can level your class books by level vs the popular genres or themes.
What’s Included?
- Autobiography
- Biography
- Holidays
- Realistic Fiction
- Science Fiction
- Historical Fiction
- Non-Fiction
- Mystery
- Fairy Tales
- Poetry
- Weather
- Animals
- Folk Tales
- Sports
- Math
- School
- Fables
Now includes:
- Social Studies
- Famous Americans
- Native Americans
- Cultural Books
- Science
- Seasons
- Star Student Books
- Class Books
- Environmental Print
- Money
- Shapes
- Colors
- Counting
- First Day of School
- Numbers
- Names
- Sight Words
- Health
- Food & Nutrition
- Manners
- Life Cycles
- Feelings
- Newspaper Bin (for magazines such as Time For Kids, etc.)
- Book Hospital (for broken books in need of repairs)
Authors:
- Roald Dahl
- Beverly Cleary
- Dr. Seuss
- Judy Blume
- Jan Brett
- Patricia Polacco
- David Shannon
- Cynthia Rylant
- Eric Carle {NEW}
- Shel Silverstein {NEW}
Series:
- A-Z Mysteries
- Magic Tree House
**original labels for series such as Goosebumps, Junie B. Jones, etc. were removed for copyright purposes and I don’t have similar clip art. Working on getting those permissions! Sorry for any inconvenience.
So, this school year don’t forget this helpful tool for your classroom and be sure to get your library organized quickly with these classroom library labels!
July 3, 2018
Teacher Tidbit Tuesday | Summer Routine
It's Tuesday and that means I am joining in on this week's teacher topic which is all about sharing summer routines! Be sure to check out Life in 5th Grade and the other amazing bloggers who are hosting this topic discussion!
Oh, summer. How I love thee.
Summer for me this year is a little different than previous summers since I am beginning online classes at UCLA to earn my English Language Learners certificate. As a part of licensing here in California, I have earned my preliminary credential which is good for five years. Within those five years I must earn my CLAD certificate (the English language learners certification) and complete an induction program - which is kind of like student teaching/internship. I'm a touch frustrated that I have to complete the induction program simply because it's extremely similar to the internship I completed during my grad school studies.
But, alas there's no way around it so I just have to suck it up and get it done.
Other than that...
From CA we flew to Miami, Florida and split up our trip to accommodate Greyson with the time difference. So, we decided to spend a day in Miami before flying to Turks, which is only about a 45 minute flight. It was so nice to relax and the resort we stayed at just began an 'all inclusive' rate, which is extremely helpful now that we're traveling as a family.
Now that we're back home, Greyson continues to go to school which is a huge help for me because I can focus on my summer school class and work on prepping curriculum and products for next year (and my TpT shop). It also allows me to finally dust the cobwebs off my little blog here and regularly post again.
My, what one can do with uninterrupted time!
New curriculum and products...
This summer thus far I have been really crunching out this Eureka Math product that I plan to use next year when teaching first grade. If you're not familiar, Eureka Math is a math curriculum that really breaks objectives and concepts down and provides students a multitude of ways to compute and find the answer. Parts of it I love and others seem a bit cumbersome, but my school just adopted this last year and I want to be as prepared and knowledgable about it as I can.
I'm excited to share what I've been working on, but there's A LOT of content to get through....just for Module 1! Be sure to follow me here via email or at my Facebook page for more updates and the big reveal!
Health and wellness.
Another aspect of my summer is focusing on my health and overall wellness. Yes, working out and getting healthy is always a goal, but I am finally taking the steps to check-in with myself and make some necessary changes. First, I went to the doctor for a check up; something I haven't had done in ages or at least since being pregnant. I also opted to have blood work done so that I can see where my numbers are - especially for high cholesterol, which I'm predisposed to having. This also means exploring the Keto diet and making healthier food choices during the week and making sure I fit the gym into my daily routine as well.
I personally need a goal in order to get my butt to the gym so I've decided to purchase the running app 13.1, which is the same company as C25K ('couch to 5k). My goal is to condition myself to run a half-marathon even though I'm not signed up for any event. Having this goal makes me accountable to run the plan from the app and change my eating/drinking habits to support my training. So, it's a win, win!
How do you stay healthy during the summer months?
I love that the summer months are more relaxing with time to gather with friends, stay in my PJs than what's probably acceptable, and thank gooooooodness for Greyson's school that offers a summer program. I love that boy, but I am so thankful to have a break during the day to be productive....or binge on Southern Charm and Real Housewives. ;)
Catch my other posts in this series...
June 30, 2018
Welcome your new students with this fun treat idea!
Hi everyone!
I wanted to jump on here and share a little something I've done in previous years to get kids excited for the upcoming school year. At my old school we hosted our Open House the Friday before the first day of school and it was a chance for students to come visit the classroom, meet their new teacher, and become familiar with their desk so there's less anxiety on the first day of school.
Along with a little classroom scavenger hunt that helps us teachers collect and organize school materials, I place a little treat on each desk as a thank you for 'Popping In'. Every year it's such a hit with the kids and the parents appreciate that extra fun detail before the first day of school. After the first year I did this I was always known as the teacher who gave out candy, haha!
This takes very little prep and you can even order *100 Blow Pops on Amazon for only $17 dollars! Once you receive your pops, just print these designs on cardstock weighted paper and tape to your lollipops! Easy peasy! You can even hold onto these pops and use them for birthdays or other celebrations in your room.
*affiliate link
I've given my previous pop labels a little bit of update featuring new fonts and some clip art. I really hope you enjoy this update and now you can get this resource for only $1 as they're a part of my $1 Deals over at my TpT shop!
I'd love to know, what fun little treats do you provide for your kiddos at the beginning of the year? How do you make them feel welcome?
June 28, 2018
What Marriage Has Taught Me | 4 Year Anniversary
What a ride it's been these last four years!
I can't believe we are celebrating our four year wedding anniversary already! For sure has this been my longest relationship and sharing my life with my husband for a total of five years has brought on it's fair share of joys, excitement, sadness, and challenges. But, what remains constant through it all is our love and dedication for one another.
So, in celebration of doing life with this guy I thought it would be fun to share the 10 lessons I've learned in gif form because why not...
10. Our love changes and that's okay
The butterflies and anxiousness when he calls no longer happen for me, but our love is deeper. I may not have that sense of hot passion for him the same way I did when we first started dating, but being partners and being there for one another through those mountains and valleys is what bonds us.
I think it's so important for all of us married couples to be honest about what we're representing about our relationships, especially on social media - marriage isn't hard, it's the hard circumstances that make marriage challenging. It's okay to not have it all together all the time, but know that your love grows deeper and more connected through those challenging moments.
And just recognizing that over time a marriage changes and that's okay too.
9. Money will always stress us out
It doesn't matter if we are in abundance or having to stick to a firm budget, being open and communicating about financial business is so important to us as husband and wife. However, no matter how good our communication is, money will always be a source of anxiety and stress. But, we've just learned to be mindful of our spending, budget our finances together, and rely on each other to assure ourselves we're doing good.
8. My way isn't always the best way
I know, "whaaat?"
...and husbands everywhere...
via GIPHY
Especially since having a child I've been humbled on more than one occasion by my husband and his approach to doing certain things. It may not be the way I would do it, but I've learned over the years to respect that in this partnership there can sometimes be more than one way to approach or solve something....and there's plenty of times his way was better.
There. I said it.
...and husbands everywhere...
Especially since having a child I've been humbled on more than one occasion by my husband and his approach to doing certain things. It may not be the way I would do it, but I've learned over the years to respect that in this partnership there can sometimes be more than one way to approach or solve something....and there's plenty of times his way was better.
There. I said it.
7. Embrace the babysitter
It took me a little while longer than I expected to get this part down (and honestly I'm still working on it). Having Greyson with us all the time is great, I love him, but there are times where it's nice to go to a movie that isn't animated or grab drinks somewhere downtown with just my husband and not feel like we're on an episode of the Amazing Race. Everyone says how important adult time is when you're new parents and it's so true!
Find yourself a trustworthy babysitter and use them as much as possible!
6. A sense of responsibility should never end
I have learned over the years that being married gives me a sense of responsibility for myself; to strive to be better not just for me, but for my family as a whole. Marriage hasn't changed how we experience life in terms of the day-to-day things, but I feel that being a wife gives me a new sense of identity and one that I want to be proud of. I'm not perfect nor do I handle everything perfectly, but always working to be the best version of my self over time is a respect I'm happy to give.
5. Fights and mastering the art of forgiveness
Disagreements, especially over children, are almost destined to happen. My husband and I have had our fair share of spats but we always recover because our time together has taught us a lot. Communication, yes, is certainly key, but also knowing what the other person needs during a fight is just as important. Sometimes I want to be left alone and others I want to kiss, make-up, and forgive. Knowing what I need in the moment and telling my husband (and vice versa, of course) makes such the difference because it takes the guessing out of the equation.
Then, once the fight is over and some kind of resolution has been found...forgive and keep it moving.
4. Have support groups
Support groups are so, so important and especially as a newlywed or new parent. There's so much that lies ahead of us and sometimes when we're in the thick of it it's hard to see around the curve to the other side. And this is where I found that having close friends, veteran parents or spouses, and moms groups are helpful in having a place to connect that isn't your spouse.
Don't get me wrong, I love my husband dearly, but there are times where it helps to connect and vent with someone that isn't the person you live with 100% of the time. There's something safe about talking it out with people who have been in similar situations and are alive to tell the tale.
3. Play the points game
One thing about #adulting and marriage (and see stress of finances above) is that you begin to care about things like APR and credit scores. Because of this we also picked up on how to play the points game.
What is that, you ask?
It's finding the perfect credit card that'll give you the best rewards, or points, for the dollars you spend anyways. We personally use our joint credit card as a debit card (i.e. for almost all of our purchases) and with that comes hundreds of points that we can save and use for travel. You can do this with multiple cards, but obviously you need to be extremely organized and keep your finances in check otherwise you'll be in over your head. But, when done right you can save thousands of dollars on the things you enjoy most.
2. Tag team with the kid
I love being a mom, but there's definitely times where I need help or a break. I love that my husband and I know when those moments are and tag team being with Greyson. I seriously think it's the best thing for us as a family!
1. Discussing faith and God's role in our marriage
This has been a big one, especially within the last couple of years. My husband and I were raised on two different planes when it comes to faith and somehow as adults we both had drifted. But, shortly before I met my husband I had gone through a major faith journey and found myself right again with God whereas my husband at one point considered himself agnostic. Over time and having an open mind, we began going to church service together and it's been a pretty remarkable experience to see how God has been working and influencing our steps.
Although my husband has begun to invite God more into his life and figuring his place with it all, I have noticed a difference in both of us and how we relate to each other and life's circumstances. Learning about God and his Word together has connected us in a much different way and our faith has deepened in the process. I'm excited to see where this all goes in the years to come, but I can say for sure that having open discussions on faith has rooted us in more than one way.
Cheers to us and to many years to come!
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